Huskers Complete Sweep of New Mexico State

Nebraska  4 1 New Mexico St.
Box Score

Inning-by-Inning
Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7		R	H	E
New Mexico St.	0	1	0	0	0	0	0		1	5	0
Nebraska	0	0	1	1	0	2	X		4	11	1

Pitching
	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Jablonski (3-8)	4.0	4	1	1	2	2
L - Diaz (4-6)	4.1	5	2	1	4	0
S - McClure (2)	3.0	1	0	0	1	2

Individual Leaders
	AB	R	H	RBI	2B	HR
MJ Knighten	4	1	3	2	2	0
Alyvia Simmons	3	2	2	1	1	0

Game Notes

Nebraska won three games in a weekend for the first time this season...the Huskers posted their first winning weekend and first undefeated weekend of the season...MJ Knighten tied her season high with three hits and her career high with two doubles...Alyvia Simmons and Alexis Perry both posted multi-hit games...Cassie McClure notched her 12th save as a Husker, moving into a tie for second place on NU's all-time saves list.

Lincoln - The Nebraska softball team completed a three-game sweep of two-time defending Western Athletic Conference champion New Mexico State on Sunday with a 4-1 victory in the series finale at Bowlin Stadium.

The Huskers scored in four of their final five at bats to improve to 7-16 on the season. Junior right-hander Kaylan Jablonski (3-8) earned the win, allowing one run on four hits in 4.0 innings. Senior right-hander Cassie McClure notched her second save of the season, tossing 3.0 innings of scoreless, one-hit relief.

Offensively, sophomore Alyvia Simmons and senior MJ Knighten combined for five hits, three runs, three RBIs and three doubles out of the top two spots in the Husker batting order. Simmons finished 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored, while Knighten was 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, two RBIs and a run scored. Freshman Alexis Perry also added two hits for the Big Red.

The Huskers out-hit the Aggies (9-14), 11-5, but had to rally from a deficit for the third time in the series. New Mexico State grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Three consecutive singles plated the game's first run. The Aggies looked for more with the bases loaded and one out before Jablonski coaxed an inning-ending double play.

The Huskers got the run back in the bottom of the third. Sophomore Bri Cassidy began the inning with a walk and was replaced on the basepaths by Simmons, who reached on a fielder's choice. Simmons then stole second before scoring on an RBI single from Knighten. Jablonski followed with a walk and a double steal left Huskers at second and third with one out. NU could not take the lead however, as Knighten was thrown out at home attempting to score on a ground out and with the bases loaded and two outs, a ground out ended the threat.

In the top of the fourth, a walk and a hit batter gave New Mexico State runners at first and second with one out. A two-out walk then loaded the bases before Jablonski escaped the jam with her second strikeout of the game.

In the bottom of the frame, Perry drew a leadoff walk and Cassidy singled with one out to put Huskers on first and second. Simmons then gave Nebraska its first lead with a bloop RBI single to right center that scored sophomore Taylor Otte.

Nebraska missed a chance to add to its lead in the bottom of the fifth. Junior Austen Urness was hit by a pitch to begin the inning. Junior Laura Barrow and Perry then recorded back-to-back singles to load the bases with one out, but the Huskers were unable to score, marking the second time in the game Nebraska was unable to get a runner home from third base with less than two outs.

The Huskers escaped a jam of their own in the top of the sixth. With two on and none out, Nebraska turned its second double play of the game before a strikeout two batters later ended the inning.

Nebraska then added an insurance run in the bottom of the frame. Simmons led off with a double, which was immediately followed by an RBI double from Knighten. Knighten then scored to stretch the lead to 4-1 on a one-out RBI single from Urness.

McClure then worked around a walk and an infield single in the seventh to secure the win.

Following the sweep of New Mexico State, the Huskers head to Wichita, Kan., to take on the Wichita State Shockers tomorrow at 5 p.m.

Box Score 2017 Nebraska Softball New Mexico State at Nebraska Mar 19, 2017 at Lincoln, Neb. (Bowlin Stadium)

New Mexico State 1 (9-14)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Rachel Rodriguez ss...... 4 0 0 0 0 1 4 2 5 Haley Nakamura 3b........ 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 Kelsey Horton 2b......... 4 0 1 0 0 1 2 3 0 Fahren Glackin 1b........ 2 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 Destiny Blueford pr..... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Victoria Castro cf....... 4 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 Caity Szczesny rf........ 3 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 2 Nikki Butler c........... 2 0 1 1 0 0 3 0 0 Jeanelle Medina pr...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Merina Ili dp............ 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Brandy Hernandez lf...... 0 0 0 0 2 0 4 0 0 Kennedy Johnson ph...... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 Samaria Diaz p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Kayla Green p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 26 1 5 1 3 4 18 9 11

Nebraska 4 (7-16)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Alyvia Simmons lf........ 4 2 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 MJ Knighten 3b........... 4 1 3 2 0 1 2 4 0 Kaylan Jablonski p....... 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 Cassie McClure p........ 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Austen Urness dp......... 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 Bree Boruff pr.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Tristen Edwards rf....... 3 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 Laura Barrow 2b.......... 4 0 1 0 0 0 2 1 3 Alexis Perry 1b.......... 3 0 2 0 1 0 9 0 2 Gina Metzler pr......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Taylor Otte cf........... 3 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 Bri Cassidy c............ 2 0 1 0 1 0 4 0 3 Rachel Arthur ss......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Totals................... 29 4 11 4 4 1 21 8 12

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- New Mexico State.... 010 000 0 - 1 5 0 Nebraska............ 001 102 X - 4 11 1 -----------------------------------------

E - Arthur(1). DP - Huskers 2. LOB - Aggies 11; Huskers 12. 2B - Simmons(3); Knighten 2(6). HBP - F. Glackin 2; N. Butler; M. Ili; Urness. SB - Simmons(2); Knighten 2(6); Jablonski(1).

New Mexico State IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Samaria Diaz........ 4.1 5 2 1 4 0 18 22 76 Kayla Green......... 1.2 6 2 2 0 1 11 12 35

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Kaylan Jablonski.... 4.0 4 1 1 2 2 15 19 60 Cassie McClure...... 3.0 1 0 0 1 2 11 14 54

Win - Jablonski (3-8). Loss - S. Diaz (4-6). Save - McClure (2). HBP - by Jablonski (M. Ili); by Jablonski (N. Butler); by McClure (F. Glackin); by K. Green (Urness); by McClure (F. Glackin). PB - N. Butler(2). Pitches/strikes: S. Diaz 76/43; K. Green 35/23; Jablonski 60/36; McClure 54/32. Umpires - HP: Raquel Bushman 1B: TGeri Magwire 3B: Tyler Barfuss Start: 12:00 pm Time: 2:06 Attendance: 650 Game: livegame